Nwahtin's Journey: A Quest for Self Discovery, Survival and the Power of the Natural World

"In the dawning, there was only wilderness and snow. Now, cities stand upon the land the wild birds used to know." Irene ParikhalAlthough the spirit of adventure lives deep within us all, thousands of years ago, a young Ojibwe woodcarver named Nwahtin ("of the calm waters") felt that spirit more strongly than most ... driving him from an early age to search for answers to questions no one had even yet thought to ask. After giving himself over to the Painted Waters on an incredible vision quest-followed by a period of mourning for his beloved grandmother ("nokomis") who dies soon thereafter-he makes the impossible decision to leave behind his family and the riches of his bountiful homeland of the Great Lakes. First by paddle, then on foot, he embarks on an epic journey of exploration, following the setting sun westward into the unknown. It was a journey that would reveal much to him about the world around him, even more about himself, and ultimately lead him to the revered island nation of Haida G'wai'i, off the northwest coast of current-day British Columbia. It is here, among the Haida people, that Nwahtin's spiritual connection to the natural world, his understanding of the profound teachings and wisdom of his own people, and his evolution into a master woodcarver would one day make him a legend. Read more